The process of making a bed can be physically taxing, as such a task usually requires bending over, lifting a portion of the mattress, and tucking bed covers underneath the mattress and between the mattress box spring or other support structure. This task can be especially difficult for people with physical disabilities, and particularly those with back pain/trauma or arthritis. Generally, beds are made manually without the aid of an apparatus for assistance. In an institutional setting, such as a hospital or nursing home, or other places having a large number of beds, such as hotels, the repetitive task of making beds can be especially strenuous, even for able-bodied individuals. In addition, the repetitive nature of making numerous beds can potentially lead to fatigue or injury.
A number of tools are known for assisting with the making of beds. Known tools are either designed for lifting the mattress for allowing sheets to be tucked under the mattress, or for tucking the sheet itself underneath the mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,569 to Sakaldasis et al. discloses two such tools. One tool has a handle and a wedge-shaped distal portion for being inserted between the mattress and the mattress support surface, such as a bed frame or a box spring, to lift up a portion of the mattress above the support surface. A separate tool having a handle and a distal tuck member with a planar configuration is used to tuck a flat sheet underneath the mattress.